I had dinner with a friend last night. After dinner we walked over to a small cafe on the corner to get some tea. I was surprised at how many different types of vegan gelatos they had ! I was too full to have any last night but I am definitely planning to try some next time !
This was a mildly upsetting week for the athlete in me. I woke up Friday morning with a terrible pain radiating from my neck all through my back and left arm. I had to take a few days off and I am still somewhat recovering. I hope to get at least once ride in next week.
Friday – rest
Saturday – rest
Sunday – rest
Monday – 35 min stationary bike
Tuesday – 50 min spin class
Wednesday – 55 min spin class
Thursday – rest
Whole wheat spaguetti, savory mushroom “meatballs” and marinara sauce.
friday – rest
saturday & sunday – MS Bike Tour
monday – rest (Radiohead concert ! woohoo !)
tuesday – rest
wednesday – 55 min spin class
thursday – rest
this weekend was the 2008 MS Bike Tour – a 2-day, 150-mile bike ride to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. we ride south from Miami to Key Largo and then back up the next day. usually, the wind is bad in one direction. we had a crosswind this year, making parts of the ride difficult on both days. i didn’t feel sufficiently ready for the event, but it turned out to be one of my strongest rides ever. Geoffrey took amazing photos of the event, some of which i’ve posted below.
although i met some very wonderful and interesting people, i mainly rode by myself this year. riding 150 miles alone is tough but incredibly gratifying as any Ironman finisher would probably vouch. i pulled over at one point to let Geoff know approximately when to expect me at the end. aside from that, i ate on the bike and avoided the rest stops.
i didn’t feel completely wasted after the first 75 miles, which is a good thing since i had to get back on the saddle the next day. speaking of saddles, this year is the only year my butt hasn’t hurt to the point i want to toss my bike and walk the rest of the way. i’m not sure if it’s my awesome new saddle (Women’s Specialized Jett) or perhaps my butt, after years of training, has finally gotten used to being on a bike for hours at a time.
we stayed at a nice place in Key Largo though a bit far from the finish/start line. we had dinner at Sundowner’s, a restaurant that offers a separate vegetarian menu. it’s the most amazing restaurant i’ve been to in Key Largo. the food is moderately priced and very delicious. i had veggie kabobs (mushrooms, peppers, carrots) and rosemary potatoes. Geoff had the pasta primavera and dessert, of course. we were both very impressed. the sunset views over the bay were absolutely stunning (we sat outside). also, there was a guy playing acoustic guitar and singing songs by the great Bob Dylan, Neil Young and other artists equally adored by my hippie boyfriend. we had an amazing time and definitely plan to eat there again next year.
day 2 was tough for me. i wanted to keep to my ‘ride alone and avoid rest stops’ plan, but the first time i reached down to grab a sip of water, i realized i’d left my water bottles back in the hotel. the amazing Geoffrey drove back to the hotel, picked them up and delivered them to me somewhere on the route. of course, this meant i had to stop to get water at one of the rest stops. i did, quickly, and carried on.
we had some tail wind for the first 25 miles, but the rest of the way was a mixture of headwind and crosswind. in the end what matters is that i finished and i felt better than every other year i’ve done this ride. slowly but surely i feel like i am becoming a better rider and that makes me happier than numbers and averages.
Geoffrey had picked up lunch for me which we ate under a tree in Key Biscayne on our way back home. we then enjoyed some cocktails on the beach and had a yummy dinner at Sublime. after dinner, we watched a video. i had such an amazing weekend. riding 150 miles is hard work for an average rider, but the feeling of accomplishment is worth it.
friday – 42 min run
saturday – 50 min spin class
sunday – 3 hr bike ride
monday – 1 hr bike ride
tuesday – 50 min spin class, 30 min run
wednesday – 55 min spin class
thursday – 1 hr, 10 min bike ride
this weekend, i ride 150 miles ! wish me luck !
